One of the best breakdowns of a dress shirt we’ve seen in awhile. Provided by shirt maker Alexander West.
Collar Base: (or collar stand) is the band of fabric sewn into the neckline of a dress shirt, which the collar attaches to.
Collar Leaf: the outside fabric of the collar, located at the front sides, which is folded over the collar base.
Collar Point Length: the distance between the collar point and the top of the collar leaf.
Collar Front Band: the area on the base that sits between the collar points.
Collar Point Spread: the distance between the collar points.
Collar: the part of a shirt that encompasses the neckline of the garment, often so as to fold or roll over. Comes in various shapes, depending on the face shape and occasion.
Yoke: a shaped piece fabric in a garment, fitted about or below the neck and shoulders, from which the rest of the garment hangs. It can be split in two, called the “split-yoke.”
Placket Front: a standard shirt front with a placket sewn on top of the shirt front.
Plain Front: a standard shirt front with a hidden placket; usually lapped left over right for men, and vice versa for women.
Fly Front: a flap of material down one side of the front opening of a garment to conceal buttons or fasteners.
Armhole: the opening in a dress shirt, which the arms are sewn in to.
Sleeve: the part of a garment that covers the arm and is usually cut wider than the cuffs. Most sleeve lengths fall between 32 and 36 inches.
Sleeve Placket: a distinctive feature that is sewn on the sleeve; the opening of the sleeve fabric near the cuff
Cuff: a fold or band serving as a trimming or finish for the bottom of a sleeve. Some cuff styles include: French Cuffs and Barrel Cuffs.
Back Collar Height: the part of the collar that is folded over, at the backside of the dress shirt.
Yoke: a shaped piece fabric in a garment, fitted about or below the neck and shoulders, from which the rest of the garment hangs. It can be split in two, called the “split-yoke.”
Hang Loop: a piece of fabric sewn into the yoke seam which allows the shirt to be hung at this point.
Side Pleats: single fabric folds at the other parts of the shirt back.
Box Pleat Front: a double fabric fold, with the material folded under at each side at the back center of a shirt.
Armhole: the opening in a dress shirt, which the arms are sewn in to.
Sleeve: the part of a garment that covers the arm and is usually cut wider than the cuffs. Most sleeve lengths fall between 32 and 36 inches.
Darts: a tapered seam of fabric for adjusting the fit of a garment.
Hem: the finished lower edge of the dress shirt body.
Tail: the part of a shirt below the waistline.
About our Style Editor: Grant Harris, MBA ● Image & Style Consultant
Grant Harris is Owner & Chief Style Consultant at Image Granted, LLC; a Washington, DC based Image Consulting Company dedicated to solving the complex image, style & fashion issues of today’s professional man. Mr. Harris provides private & corporate wardrobe consultations, closet organization, personal shopping & other value-based services for men in need of practical & affordable style advice.
A 2006 Virginia Military Institute (VMI) graduate with a BA in Psychology, Grant quickly earned an MBA in Organizational Development and Psychology in 2007 from the American InterContinental University (AIU). Mr. Harris has appeared in several media outlets including TIME Magazine, CNN Newsroom, and The Wall Street Journal.
Grant was born and raised in the DC metro area. Having acquired many stamps in his passport Grant is passionate about international travel, reading everything he can get his hands on, and satisfying his healthy obsession with socks. You can follow Image Granted on Twitter & Facebook. Contact Grant about his styling and/or speaking services corporate@imagegranted.com or 703.554.9184.
Well-Dressed: Providing Grooming and Style tips for Black Men. TheBlackManCan believes that you should never judge a book by its cover, however a books cover can be just as important as its content.
